An electric vehicle exploded and caught fire outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday, according to officials and videos on social media.
The Clark County Fire Department confirmed it responded to a vehicle fire in the valet area of the Trump International Hotel at approximately 8.40 am local time.
The explosion resulted in one death and seven injuries.
The make of the vehicle was initially unconfirmed by local officials, but it was later identified as a Tesla Cybertruck. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Donald Trump's son, Eric Trump, reported the incident on X, emphasising the hotel's commitment to guest and staff safety.
'Earlier today, a reported electric vehicle fire occurred in the porte cochere of Trump Las Vegas. The safety and well-being of our guests and staff remain our top priority. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Las Vegas Fire Department and local law enforcement for their swift response and professionalism,' Eric Trump wrote.
The incident has drawn national attention due to potential connections with the New Orleans 'terror' attack.
President Joe Biden stated on Wednesday that law enforcement is investigating any possible link between the Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas and the deadly car attack in New Orleans during New Year's celebrations.
Both vehicles involved in these incidents were rented from the car-sharing platform Turo.
"We're tracking the explosion of a Cybertruck outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. Law enforcement and the intelligence community are investigating this as well, including whether there's any possible connection with the attack in New Orleans," Biden said.
He assured that every resource is being deployed to ensure public safety.
In New Orleans, a suspect rammed a Ford F-150 Lightning electric truck into a crowd, killing at least 15 people.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation into the New Orleans attack, describing it as an act of terrorism.
President Biden revealed that the suspect, Shamsud Din Jabbar, an American citizen and former US Army serviceman, had posted videos inspired by the Islamic State shortly before the attack. Explosives and an ISIS flag were found in Jabbar's vehicle.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk also alleged a connection between the Cybertruck explosion and the attack in New Orleans, as both vehicles were rented from the same car rental site, Turo.
'Appears likely to be an act of terrorism. Both this Cybertruck and the F-150 suicide bomb in New Orleans were rented from Turo. Perhaps they are linked in some way,' Musk wrote on X.
The explosion in Las Vegas killed one person and injured seven others according to a CNN report.
The Tesla CEO clarified on X that the explosion was caused by fireworks or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck, not by the vehicle itself.
'We have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself,' Musk wrote on X.
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